


Just call me daddy

by PoisonJack



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alpha Jack, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, General au, Jack is actually a pretty good guy in this one, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Rhys, Rhys is Handsome Jack's Personal Assistant, implied domestic abuse from rhys' shitty other alpha, love and fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-09-20 00:18:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17011893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonJack/pseuds/PoisonJack
Summary: Jack discovers his pretty new PA has some baggage. Jack wants to rip apart the alpha who hurt him, and also be there for the baby the omega is expecting. Basicsuperindulgent fun with tropes :)From a request on tumblr:"Embarrassing ask in retrospect, but: Jack discovers he has a huge pregnancy kink after rescuing Rhys from an abusive ex & insisting he support him through the pregnancy (as any heroic honorable alpha would do). Mutual desire starts things. Rhys dealing w/pregnancy hormones galore. They both think its only temporary (totally back on his feet w/in a year, yeah?). Until Jack starts having fantasies (Rhys pregnant again / raising kid as his own) & Rhys starts lying to himself it's just the hormones."





	Just call me daddy

**Author's Note:**

> This was at first very hard to write (cuz i went a few different directions) but then it all worked out for fun! WOO!

“Next!”

Rhys quickly scampered in after the beta who was hightailing it out of Handsome Jack’s office, the omega a little worried about why someone would _run_ from their job interview the way the man on his way out was, but he approached with as much confidence as he could muster.

Handsome Jack himself appeared rather bored, leaning back in his chair with arms above his head and shoes on his desk. Whatever had happened (or more likely, been _threatened_ ) to make the previous applicant hightail it, the CEO didn’t seem particularly afflicted by burden of conscience.

As Rhys got closer to the large desk on the raised dais, the powerful alpha gave him a raise of his brow before slightly frowning at the state of his face. 

It made Rhys swallow heavily. His little makeup trick hadn’t worked.

“What the hell happened to you? I know competition for this position is steep but what, you guys as bored as me out there? Having a go at the ol’ Hyperion gauntlet?”

Rhys grimaced as Hyperion’s CEO– his prospective new-boss- looked him over from his desk as the younger man finished his approach. _Not_ the kind of impression he wanted to make when applying for the personal assistant job, and not the face he wanted to be wearing when finally meeting his damn idol, but it couldn’t be helped.

“I uh, funny story,” Rhys began, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he stood before the epitome of everything he ever wanted to be. “So my echoeye was malfunctioning– _not_ that that’ll affect my work sir!- and I was rubbing it really hard with this hand, and it glitched, and well, my cybernetic arm punched myself in the face.”

The omega stood there awkwardly, trying to laugh it off good-naturedly as the alpha looked him up and down with intense observation. The black eye was bad he knew, but he hoped a little superficial damage wouldn’t throw his chances. The CEO sat up straight from his relaxed posture, giving the younger man a once over as he leaned on his desktop.

Jack’s nostrils flared. “…Really.”

“It was a total freak accident, sir, but it won’t interfere with my job! All my upgrades are recent and patched.”

“Yeah, okay then…” Jack trailed off, looking at the omega’s file as he picked up an echotab from numerous littering the desk. He scrolled through it a minute before looking back at the younger man, nonplussed. “And you’re transferring _from_ middle management to lowly ass-kissing _assistant_ , why?”

“Ah… um, I didn’t personally see it that way…” Rhys’ admitted, ignoring the ass-kissing statement, and furthermore, just how much ass he was willing to kiss to secure this position. “Thought it was more of a step up to work directly under the CEO himself? Even as a go-fer.”

Jack leaned back in his chair again with a pleased cackle and grin. Good, he wasn’t just a pretty package with no brain. “Shit kiddo, I like the way you think. Can’t get much more into the thick of things than the balls and brain of the whole company right here every day.”

“I– Thank you, sir. I was thinking very much the same.”

“How do you pronounce this, princess? Rice?”

“Uh, _Rhys_ , sir.”

“Rhys? Well Rhysie, your file looks great, and damn if you’re not the first to make me laugh today. If I had to deal with one more shaking idiot from the secretary pool that thought they could handle my schedule, I was going to airlock myself. Ha ha, _nah_ , but really, _breath of fresh air_ , pumpkin. A good brain is required for _my_ assistant.”

Rhys bit his lip to temper the smile that threatened to split his face.  

“Everything on this resume is true, right? Not lying to me, are ya?” he asked as he eyed the younger man. It really was a step down in terms of position, but like the omega said, being under Handsome Jack ( _heh_ ) wasn’t exactly any old position. “Middle management wasn’t just a cakewalk for being easy on the eyes? You’ve got the skills to back this stuff up?”

“No sir! I mean- yes sir!” Rhys quickly affirmed, cheeks slightly heating as he realized he’d just been paid a compliment by the man of his every wet dream. “I have documentation for every certification there and I can prove my technical skills on any problem you wanna throw at me.” 

“Heh, _confident_. I like that. Okay, that’s good enough for me. I can always airlock you if it turns out you’re just a really good liar.” Jack smirked down at him, gratified in the way the younger man’s eyes widened. “Consider the job yours, cupcake. Just fix that pretty face before scheduling any publicity stuff.”

“R-really? Yes sir!”

“Awesome. Great. And knock it off with the ‘sir’ shit. We’re gonna get real close, you and I.” Jack enjoyed the slight color that went into the other man’s cheeks before continuing. “Have you pick up my dry cleaning, iron my underpants. You know. Real bosom-buddy stuff.” He snorted to himself. “Ha ha, nah, I don’t wear ‘em. Anyways, have Meg give you the access codes for everything, and tell her to tell everyone else off.” Jack huffed to himself, knowing there were still another ten applicants outside, but if he had to sit through one more sycophant, his corpse hatch was going to get clogged. “See you bright and early tomorrow, kiddo! Now get out.”

The younger man quickly vacated the office as Jack sat there further reviewing his file. His qualifications truly were top-notch for just being an assistant, and he’d been the prettiest damn thing to enter his office the past two hours. Jack was vain enough to admit he wanted everything to look perfect in his future photo ops, including the assistant who would be like his shadow for upcoming events, and an uggo simply wouldn’t suffice.

He grinned. Nothing but the best. 

Work tomorrow should be fun.

– 

The omega’s facial bruising eventually healed and faded, and Jack forgot all about the superficial wound, and took true enjoyment in having the younger man see to his every need. He personally enjoyed sending Rhys to get him the trashy, delicious coffee from the hub that was more cream than caffeine, or run personal, handwritten threats down to financial when his calls didn’t quite seem to put the fear of god into them. Rhys was efficient, he took orders well, and he had a bit of a mean streak and a smart mouth that Jack genuinely enjoyed. 

It was good working with the younger man. Especially when he genuinely seemed to enjoy completing tasks for Jack.

“Hey pumpkin, think you can run something down to your old floor for me?”

Rhys looked up, brow raised. “My old floor?”

“Yep,” Jack said, popping the ‘p’ with a smirk. “Old man Henderson needs a few reminders about where priorities are. Figured you’d like to stick it to your old boss.”

Rhys grinned widely as he left his desk to come and lean up against the side of Jack’s. “Is it my birthday or something?”

Jack snorted. “I knew you’d like that, pumpkin.” He gave the top of Rhys’ thigh a pat before handing an echotablet to the younger man. “Just drop this at his desk, personal regards from Ol’ Jack.” The wicked smirk on the younger man’s face made Jack grin. He knew that Rhys knew that whatever was in his hands wasn’t good for Henderson, and the omega was personally amused by the fact. Gotta love that little tang for comeuppance. “You know what? Go ahead and take your stuff with you, babe. Take off early, have a nice weekend.”

“Yeah?” Rhys said with a raised brow, shifting his weight more comfortably on the edge of Jack’s desk. “What about that meeting with R&D on Monday you wanted me to prep for?”

“Nah, move it to Thursday,” Jack dismissed easily as he leaned back in his big yellow chair. “One of the test subjects exploded.” He snickered as Rhys wrinkled his nose in disgust. “It was pretty funny. Wanna watch the footage, kiddo?”

“No thank you,” Rhys said with a smirk, standing up and brandishing the tablet in his hand. “If that’s really it, then I have a date with a glass of sparkling wine and a bubble bath at home.”

“Oh yeah?” Jack asked smoothly, a leer coming over his face as Rhys rolled his eyes at him. “Nice start to a weekend there. Sounds dangerous. Need a lifeguard?”

“I think I’ll be okay, Jack,” the omega laughed, ignoring the way his cheeks _still_ heated at the CEO’s casual flirting. He’d thought after the first two months he would’ve gotten used to it, but the alpha still managed to get a rise out of him (in more ways than one). He looked away with a laugh as Jack waggled his brows at him.

“Last chance, buttercup.”

“I’ll wear pool floaties,” he dismissed with a grin. “Have a good weekend, _sir_ ,” Rhys teased as he left the alpha’s desk to gather his stuff and deliver the tablet.

“I _will_ if you send me a play by play of how that bath turns out. Pictures optional. Only not.”

“You _wish_ ,” Rhys threw over his shoulder with more confidence than he felt, his belly doing interesting things as he knew just what kind of night he was going to have with Jack’s casual flirting in his mind. Not that it was much different from any other time Jack laid it on thick.

He ignored Jack’s comment of ‘I do!’ and left the office with a huge smile on his face. “See you Monday, Jack!”

The CEO was left to his own devices, snickering to himself and wondering if his little fanboy assistant would ever take the bait. A little office liaison might be a fun way to pass the slow times. In the meantime, flirting was always interesting. He was already planning the things he’d tease the younger man about when he saw him at the start of the work week, and chuckling over all the shades of red he knew the omega’s face would turn at his teasing. 

Maybe he’d send him a message around his presumable bath time… _juuuust_ to have a fun jumping point for conversation the following Monday.

–

The horribly bruised, badly-concealed face of the pretty younger man was _not_ what Jack was expecting first thing Monday morning. He nearly choked on his coffee as Rhys came into the office at seven AM.

“ _Christ_ buttercup, what in the hell happened to you??”

Jack sat up from where he’d been reclined, setting the coffee in his hand aside as Rhys took up his usual place at his own desk _without_ the usual greeting.

“My eye glitched,” Rhys supplied quickly and succinctly, tone inviting no other questions with zero room for elaboration. 

He unpacked his bag for the day and took a seat at his desk to start on Jack’s schedule for the week, thinking he should have applied another layer of concealer or foundation that morning in lieu of making an extra strong coffee. But god he’d needed the caffeine.

Jack got up from his own desk, not so easily ignored from the mess that was his assistant’s face, to stand at the side of the younger man’s chair. Rhys stubbornly didn’t acknowledge him, instead going through messages from different departments and filing them according to urgency.

“Rhys.”

“Yeah?” he answered, suddenly busy to his left, facing away from Jack, with the papers Meg had left on his desk the previous Friday evening.

Jack turned his chair until the younger man was facing him. Rhys gave him a pout he ignored, instead studying the younger man’s face with a deep-set frown. “Eye glitch caused _this_?”

“Got soap in it washing my hair, and something shorted. It’s happened before.”

Jack snorted at the way the omega had trouble keeping his eyes on Jack’s own. Rhys was pretty, but he was a shit liar. 

“Must’ve glitched like hell to have you hit yourself with your _flesh_ hand,” Jack muttered as he studied the bruises, not at all a stranger to the finer works and marks a proper strangling or left hook could leave, especially with a metal implement. The damage was done with a _flesh_ right hand, not his cybernetic right one.

Rhys’ lip quivered just a bit, almost imperceptible but the movement caught Jack’s eye. The older man moved closer into Rhys’ space to study the marks, gauging when during the weekend they might’ve happened. He thought to the other time the omega’s face had been bruised; his initial hiring a few months back. The alpha put two and two together.

“What really happened, kitten? Who touched you?”

His tone of voice sent a chill up Rhys’ spine. Rhys knew better than to try to lie again. He’d worked for Jack long enough now to see the little tells in the man’s face, and while the alpha seemed calm and cool, voice deep, even, a slight growl perhaps, the omega could tell he was absolutely _livid_. Just the careful, controlled body language of the normally carefree alpha was enough to tread carefully.

“It was an accident. And it doesn’t matter. I broke it off with him. For real this time.”

“Him _who_?”

Rhys sighed, looking away as Jack still stood over him. Jack’s concern was well-meaning, but unnecessary. He _really_ wished he’d spent extra time on his face this morning. “Jack, please. It’s over and done.”

“The same idiot give you that bruise when you interviewed for this position?” Rhys’ silence was more telling than any admission, and it got Jack’s blood pumping with territorial protectiveness. He wanted to shoot someone. Strangle with his bare hands. “I _knew_ our echoeyes were better quality than that… _glitch_ my ass. Who did this, Rhysie? _Tell me_.”

“Jack,” Rhys huffed, swallowing heavily. “It really doesn’t matter, I promise. It won’t happen again. He _won_ ’t come near me again. I made sure. I made sure he got the message.”

“Rhys, _kitten_ ,” Jack said, trying to be patient as his impulse to murder was rising. He leaned against Rhys’ desk casually, but his body was too tense, too controlled to be casual. “Just let me know who hurt you, and I’ll take care of it for you, okay sweet pea?” He gave a little self-important snort. “Working for the boss-man has it’s perks, babe. How do you want him to die?”

“No Jack, just wait a second,” Rhys said in shocked appreciation, secondhand thoughts considering just what the CEO would and _could_ do, and wondering if it might be worth it. “I'm… I’m pregnant with his child and I- I just…” Rhys choked up a little at that, clearing his throat as his eyes got a little misty, and he tried to get himself under control in embarrassment to explain.

Jack stood there shocked for a minute, gaping at the bruised, cowering omega. Shouldn’t he have picked up on something like that? But then, Rhys just always smelled good, and he was thin as hell, and it wasn’t like Jack _knew_ what that might smell like on the younger man anyways, and _christ_ , he was really pregnant? With some dickbag’s baby? “You… You’re gonna have a baby, pumpkin?”

Rhys looked a little torn, wringing his hands, but nodded after a moment. “Yeah,” he said a little more softly than intended. “I’ve… I’ve always wanted kids and… excuse me,” he said as he cleared his throat, getting overwhelmed again as he sat there under the gaze of the most powerful alpha on the entire station. 

Jack still stood there dumbly for another moment before the frown was back in full force. “What in the _hell_? You telling me some asshole knocked you up and then knocked you around?” He growled under his breath. “ _Oooh_ Rhysie, I have a special new toy I’d like to use on this guy. What’s his name?”

“Jack… it’s just…”

“You aren’t seriously protecting him, are you?”

Rhys huffed, frowning as he thought. “No, but, I… I– this isn’t easy.”

“Buttercup.” Jack consciously controlled his voice, trying to appeal to the younger man as his inner voice kept repeating _pregnant pregnant pregnant._ He wanted to do something. To fix the situation even if he couldn’t fix Rhys’ battered face. “Let me help. Okay?” Rhys looked off to the side, still pulled in a bit on himself. Jack huffed, trying to be a little cooler. “Okay… _Okay_. You don’t want him killed. Maybe you think he’ll be a stand-up daddy. But Rhysie, if you think he’ll change if he knows, let me tell you, once an asshole, _always_ an asshole. You don’t want that around your baby.”

Rhys sighed with exasperation. His face hurt, and his eyes stung. He was embarrassed and didn’t want to go to pieces in front of his idol, his boss, and this was complicating things further than he wanted or needed. “He’s _known_. He’s known for a few months now. He just didn’t care– said it was my problem- until he thought I could pull some strings for him, since I work for _you_. I told him to get bent, and well….” He motioned to his face.

Jack actually got to his knee before the younger man, a hand on his thigh and the other on the armrest as he tried to appeal to the omega’s sense. The alpha was itching for a fight. To rip something apart with his bare hands, but that would be too merciful. “Rhysie… _who is that_.” He frowned a moment in thought, studying Rhys as if the answer could be seen by observation alone. “Are you bonded to him, babe? Look, I know a bond might want you to keep him _alive_ , but seriously–”

Rhys snorted derisively. “Hell no. I’m never letting anyone bond me, let alone him _.”_ Jack’s hand on his thigh squeezed, and Rhys could see how hard Jack was trying to be supportive when he clearly wanted to get… _violent_. This was… This was _new_. 

Whatever it was Jack was doing, it was hard and unfamiliar, and he was clearly itching for a fight. His scent was strong in Rhys’ nostrils– far stronger than usual- but the older man was actually being… _considerate_? If he dogged him enough, Rhys would give up the name, and he figured Jack knew that. But the CEO was being… _kind_?

“Things are… They’re complicated, Jack.”

“Let me _un_ complicate them, babe.” Rhys wrung his hands, and Jack placed the one on his thigh over Rhys’ own. “Rhysie. Come on. Tell me who did this.” He smiled a little in coaxing. “You’re too damn gorgeous for anyone to damage that pretty face. Tell me who did it.”

Rhys snorted humorlessly. “I… can’t. It’s a… there are _things_ he knows…”

“Won’t be able to tell anyone a thing if he’s _dead_ , sweetheart.”

Rhys was certain of that. But he was also certain that, under torture or threat of death, that the beans would be spilled and Rhys would be thrown under the figurative bus. And going by the look in Jack’s eyes, it wouldn’t be a _slow_ death.

The omega couldn’t meet the alpha’s eyes. “I can’t. It’s kind of… it’s a blackmail thing…” he admitted, voice dropping.

Jack’s brows rose considerably. “ _Blackmail_ huh? Your life is a lot more interesting than I thought. Want me to rip his tongue out before I do anything else?”

Rhys actually laughed a little, his gut churning with nerves.

“Come on kitten. Tell me the name. Just give me a name.” At Rhys’ silence, Jack chose to go the faster, less-kind route to get what he wanted, his number one priority now hurting the man who’d hurt Rhys. “ _Ooor_ I can check security footage from when you left the office all the way until you came in this morning and draw my own conclusions.”

The blood drained from Rhys’ face, and Jack felt a rare twinge of what he figured was _guilt_ over distressing the bruised younger man.

“Please I– Jack–”

“What’s he blackmailing you for, Rhys? I’ll take care of it, okay? What? Is it something dirty? Make a tape from the orgy rooms? Illegal drugs? Who hasn’t snorted a bunch of frostbite mushrooms and rode a dick every once in a while, am I right?”

That failed to get even a smile out of Rhys, and Jack gave his hands a reassuring squeeze. 

“Come _on_ pumpkin. Don’t be scared, okay? Whatever he’s blackmailing you over isn’t worth his life.”

“Can I… make a request?”

Jack’s brows raised. _Now_ they were getting somewhere. “ _Absolutely_ , Rhysie. What do you want? Stalkers to eat his face? Elemental rounds to the kneecaps? You name it, babe.”

Rhys frowned, his stomach doing somersaults as he tried to embrace the fear, looking down towards his belly and the tiniest of bumps he knew was there. “Just… will you wait for whatever you’ll do to me until _after_ this is born?”

Jack frowned. “Do to you? I’m not gonna do anything to you, Rhys. Damn, what kind of number this asshole do on you, baby?”

“It’s not what _he_ did. It’s what I did. What- what I’m being blackmailed for.” Rhys could feel his heart threatening to beat out of his chest, dizzy, blood rushing in his ears. He’d been too scared to ever mention it, and now here he was admitting to the CEO of the entire damn corporation. “I… a year back… when the echoeye implants became available…” He swallowed hard over the lump trying to choke him. “I knew it could give me an edge over my coworkers… I’m good at what I do, was maybe the best in my department, but because I’m an omega… It’s not the first time I’ve been passed over by less-skilled alphas and even betas. I-I-I wanted the eye, but I didn’t have enough credits to buy it.” He was very aware of Jack’s hands on his. Their warmth, their size, the details of his skin and tattoo. The strength in those hands, their power. But Jack was holding him gently. So gently. “I embezzled the funds I wanted– m-more than I needed- and got the eye done. My… My boss found out.”

He was trembling, unable to meet the CEO’s eye as he admitted a sin worse than a little competitive murder: pocketing funds. His heart was going to combust any moment, and he waited for whatever reaction was sure to come; waited for those gentle hands on him to turn violent. “He had me do the same trick for him, but for a _lot_ more….”

“So wait, you’re telling me you embezzled money from the company?”

“Y-yeah.”

“How much, princess?”

Rhys gulped, gathering himself for several moments before he softly whispered the number. Jack’s brow shot up as he asked for clarification, a little surprised at the sheer balls the younger man had.

“Million?”

“Th-thousand.”

Jack started snickering as he shook his head and gave Rhys’ hands a squeeze. His voice was lighthearted- _amused_ \- as he held the omega’s hand. “Oh Rhysie, oh geez that’s a good one. _That’s_ it?” He was still snickering to himself, just tickled, as Rhys gaped at him, completely not understanding. “Sweetheart, _everyone_ in middle management embezzles to some degree. Usually somewhere in the ballpark of ten to fifteen percent salary. We won’t even look at that much. Those greedy shits end up paranoid about it and with a little pressure they actually work _harder_. It’s good for our bottom line. Hell, something is up if someone isn’t embezzling. The upper executives call it the Humble Bonus. It’s in the yearly _budget_ for crying out loud. _Hoo_ you’re too cute. Is that really it?” Rhys only nodded, gaping, as Jack smiled at him. He brushed his thumb over the pregnant omega’s hand. “You weren’t nearly in as much trouble as you thought. Talk about mountains out of mole hills.”

“I… Repossession for cybernetic limbs and stuff isn’t covered by company insurance. They… I didn’t have the credits anymore if I got caught for embezzling, and if I was reported… and they wanted company property back… the Repo man isn’t exactly a _doctor_ ….”

“ _Wow_ we have those guys? Holy crap that’s creepy as hell. I like it.” He gave the omega a pat. “But pumpkin, you ‘stole’-” he used air quotes with his fingers, “-to get Hyperion _experimental_ tech shoved into your melon. I mean we probably have grants for that crap. I’m not punishing that cute ass for _loyalty_ , babe, I mean come on. You’re like a Hyperion poster-boy with all those robo-parts. _Meow_.”

Rhys wasn’t sure if he was laughing or crying because this seemed too good to be true. Jack was smiling confidently as he waggled his brows, trying to make the bruised omega feel better; _comfortable_.

“Come on now, Rhysie. Tell me who the dickbag is. He can’t cause you any harm. Won’t let anyone repossess your cool robot parts _or_ hurt your baby, okay? Let me kill him for you.”

Rhys’ lips trembled as he gasped out his fear. “H-Henderson.”

“Henderson? _Henderson_? He’s the one who–” Jack’s eyes went to Rhys’ belly, dumbfounded a moment. A sudden thought hit him like a punch to the gut, feeling even more murderous as the probability sunk in. He looked up straight into the discolored face of his pretty assistant. “Rhys, did he do this when I sent you down there Friday?”

Rhys didn’t want to answer. 

Jack got to his feet. “ _Henderson_ is the one who– _ooooh_ kitten, we are gonna make him _hurt_.” The CEO had trouble containing his voice at both the violence he planned and the excitement to dole it out. “He’s gonna know the meaning of _pain_ when I’m through with him– except he won’t, because he’ll be dead.”

Rhys gave a little half-hysterical laugh.

“How um…” Jack leaned to the side, considering the omega with his whole body. “How far along are you, kitten?”

“Going on four months.”

“Pfft. No way. You’re so _thin_.”

“Well the shirts cover it,” he explained of the flowy top he had on. “And I’m not _quite_ there, yet.”

“Hm. I thought you were just stylish with omega-wear.”

Rhys smirked, mood much improved. Jack seemed sincere in his concern and promises, different in a way Henderson had always been. His heart gave a lurch of appreciation. “Why can’t it be both?”

“Ha! Got me there Rhysie.” Jack’s brain was busy trying to combine torture methods that _wouldn’t_ result in death before the most painful bits were enacted, looking at the pretty omega seated and watching him as he paced a little. He wondered what was going on in that pretty head, but _more_ , he wondered why Rhys would have bent over for someone like Henderson in the first place. “Answer me this pumpkin: why would a gorgeous thing like you _ever_ shack up with Henderson? You know you’re like out of his league, right?”

Rhys snorted. “He was… I don’t know. He was nice at first. Different.” Rhys gave a little humorless chuckle, the smile it brought to this face fading as it hurt the muscles about his eye. “He smelled more like a beta than an alpha, less bossy, _liked_ my cybernetic parts. He threw projects that would have been given to an alpha _my_ way instead. I don’t know… he didn’t get violent until I messed up a few times first. Maybe if I hadn’t–”

“Guy was a total douche, babe. You didn’t deserve any of that,” Jack growled out. Yeah, he was going to string Henderson up first. That would be step one. “He ran a kitten punching ring in his spare time, you know? Total dick from the start.”

“A- a _what_?”

“Exactly as it sounds. Guy going ten rounds pummeling kittens. Amusing as hell but yeah, total dick.” Rhys’ hand went over his belly, and Jack watched the movement keenly. His eyes shifted back to Rhys’ own. “Your kid is gonna be safe from assholes like that. Don’t even worry.”

“There’s a… something else…”

“What babe?”

“In the event anything were to _happen_ to Henderson, well… I wrote in a– His funds are still there, the uh, embezzled ones that are left…” He laughed a little self-consciously at what he was asking. “-and, I mean, well, raising babies isn’t _cheap_ -”

“You want his assets sweet pea?” Jack asked with a laugh. “I can make that happen. Not that you’ll need ‘em. Handsome Jack looks after his own know what I mean?”

No. No he didn’t. “What _do_ you mean?”

“Rhysie, you just let me take care of things for you, okay? I’ll take care of whatever you need. You’ve got an excellent Hyperion insurance plan, namely, _me_.”

The omega was more than a little shocked at that. Jack had always been… well, _nice_ felt a weird word to connect with the powerful CEO, but the alpha had done right by him so far. Not that he’d been working for him for very long at all. “Not that I care too much since I’m getting what I need, but since _when_?”

“Can’t it just be that I like babies?”

Rhys snorted with a roll of his eyes. “Yeah right. You _hate_ babies.”

“Okay, fair enough, but it’s different if it’s _yours_.”

Rhys’ cheeks pinkened at such intimate words. This was a favor to _him_. Because it was him. Not for any other reason. That… He didn’t know what to make of that; of the way the alpha was looking at him with an intense curiosity, lingering on his belly.

Rhys could feel his cheeks going scarlet as he thought of all the come-ons and flirting and innuendos Jack had sent his way the past few months. The older man must’ve realized the implication, because he gave a little amused snort as he considered the man.

“No funny business, promise sweetheart. I’ll look out for you, okay? Get everything set up real pretty. Can’t have anyone say Jack doesn’t look after his own, after all.” He threw what he knew was a charming grin the younger man’s way. “No extra stress, my schedule stays organized, and we keep this party train runnin’, yeah?”

–

Jack didn’t know what he’d expected when he’d volunteered to take care of the pregnant omega’s needs, but he was sure as hell having fun with it.

Jack couldn’t keep his eyes off Rhys as the omega grew bigger. He got more and more gorgeous each day as his lithe figure bulged out with tiny life. Jack gave him easier tasks, delegated other stuff to Meg, or personally threatened departments instead of passing sentiments to them through his assistant. He got Rhys a comfier, larger chair with heating and massage capabilities. The bigger he got, the better he fit into the chair.

It startled and then made Rhys laugh the first time Jack remotely turned on the massage functions. Watching his achey assistant relax with a smile brought a sort of hungry warmth to the CEO, and Jack had to reconcile that his passing interests and flirtations were anything if not super serious.

It made the alpha purr in his throat to consider how fertile the younger man must be. The healthy glow about his skin, the proper weight on that rail-thin exterior that emphasized his omega anatomy. How he’d probably make pretty babies too to make any alpha proud. It made the older man impatient with curiosity, lost inside his own head.

His lingering looks didn’t go unnoticed by Rhys, the plump omega smirking at having caught the man for the fifth time this morning, and finally addressing the issue.

“Jack.”

“Huh?”

“It’s still got a couple months. You can’t _stare_ this kid out of me.”

The alpha snorted in amusement. “I was just thinking; how about you and me get dinner tonight, babe? Somewhere fancy.”

Rhys looked at him in puzzlement. That was sure out of nowhere. “What? Why?”

“Do I need a reason to treat my pretty personal assistant?” Rhys snorted and Jack grinned. “Come on, you’ve _got_ to be having weird cravings, am I right? I’ve seen the snacks you’ve been bringing in. Let’s go out. Just me and you.”

Rhys had hoped his weird little concoctions had gone unnoticed as Jack hadn’t said anything up to this point. Shock and a half: the alpha was being _polite_. “I…guess that would be okay,” Rhys said with a little pink in his cheeks, unable to really ignore the way Jack had been looking at him lately, now more or less certain it wasn’t all in his head. 

And truthfully he’d love a night out. He was optimistic of having a good time, and maybe getting a little more casual with the older man.

He ended up having a very good time indeed.

–

Offers to dinners out turned to dinners in, little ‘accidental’ touches turning to possessive hands at lower back or elbow; scenting up his temple as he leaned down to talk to the younger man. Jack had gotten more and more handsy concerning his person the larger Rhys got, and the pregnant omega encouraged the hell out of it. 

The first time Rhys let Jack take him to bed, the younger man had howled and come apart under the older man’s mouth and fingers. And the first night spent over at Jack’s penthouse, he’d laughed and snickered over the way Jack pressed kisses to his belly the morning after, a soft purr in the older man’s voice that went straight to Rhys’ heart.

Rhys was over most nights now, and Jack was reveling in the changes of his body as they discussed their blossoming relationship; what the hell Jack wanted out of this, and if he was really serious.

“Don’t you worry when that little thing is out. I’ll be here for it, never have to worry about being a single parent. Kid is gonna be spoiled rotten, sweetheart. Let me be its daddy.”

Rhys got choked up, the older man’s hand cupping his belly, his lips pressing kisses to Rhys’ skin. It sent a streak of panic through him; he wanted what Jack offered so bad, but he’d been wrong before– _duped_ before. “How do you know you won’t change your mind? That’s… That’s a _commitment_ , Jack. It’s a little person.”

“Because its yours, sweetheart. I don’t plan on letting you go for a _long_ time, gorgeous.”

Rhys snorted, but as Jack entwined their fingers and kissed his hand, he really didn’t think he had anything to worry about.

“I’m so ready to be a daddy. Look how perfect you are. Starter kid is almost done. Hey, Rhysie… after this one is born, let me put another in ya.”

Rhys snorted, a laugh coming out as he smiled at Jack in disbelief. “What?”

“I need to see you all big and gorgeous with my kid, pumpkin,” the older man growled out with a kiss to his skin. “I’ve had a little taste for you all plump and fertile…. let me put another one in you. I want to be at the start of all this deliciousness next time.”

Rhys chuckled as he considered the older man’s words, a hand on his belly as he laid there with a smirk. “Are you being serious right now?”

“Come on… Do we really want this little angel to be an only child?”

“Jack…”

“We can afford it, babe,” Jack said as he kissed down the omega’s abdomen, still in shocked awe that a tiny little heir to the Hyperion dynasty was just behind thin flesh. “Cute little babies that look just like you, a _whole_ lot of them.” Jack chuffed against his skin with self-amusement. “Let everyone know Handsome Jack can still fuck like a king and give his pretty mate all the kids he could ever want.”

“I–” Rhys was shocked silent at that little slip. Jack had never referred to him as his mate before. Even though he’d been saying up and down how he wanted to be the daddy to Rhys’ kids, he’d never yet said aloud he wanted Rhys to be his _mate_. “M-my _mate_?”

“Hell yeah, sugar.” Jack paused in his kisses as he realized Rhys was staring at him with red cheeks and a gaping mouth. “What?”

“You… you never said you wanted me to be your mate before. Do you… I mean, we’re not bonded.”

“I don’t need to bond you for you to be my mate, sweetheart,” Jack told him easily. “You said you never wanted to bond with anyone, remember? And that’s okay by me, Rhysie, but you’re still mine. Make no mistake.”

Rhys hugged him hard, taking the alpha by surprise as Jack carefully avoided putting pressure on his belly.

“I can’t believe you remembered that,” Rhys said, recalling how he’d denied Henderson such a privilege all those months ago when they’d first gotten close. “I want to bond with you, Jack. Of course I do.”

“No shit?” the older man asked with a grin. He cuddled the omega close, breathing in his scent and kissing his skin. “Oh I’m putting so many pups in you, sweetheart. We’re gonna have more kids than anyone on this station even _dreamed_.”

Rhys laughed. “You can have a few yourself, Jack.”

“Mm, no, I love feeling our kid inside you.” He spread his fingers wide on Rhys’ skin, kissing the younger man’s cheek as Rhys chuckled. “You’re amazing pumpkin. You’re manufacturing a human. All by yourself. That’s like– we- Hyperion’s not there _yet_ , but damn that’s so neat.”

Rhys only shook his head, pulling the alpha into a kiss, and Jack cuddled and nuzzled him as they laid together, hand in hand over Rhys’ swollen belly, discussing their future.  


**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment if you've enjoyed reading this! :D It was a real bitch to write lemme tell ya xD
> 
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